Christ in you, the Hope of Glory 8-21-2022
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 25:42
0 ratings
· 73 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
We left off last time with the promise
that if we are in Christ
we have been reconciled with Him and
can stay that way, reconciled
if we continue in our faith.
Lets begin reading our reading today at Colossians 1:24 - 2:5
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
The lack in Christ’s afflictions
The lack in Christ’s afflictions
The first thing I want us to look at today is that phase in verse 24
I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions
What is lacking in Christ afflictions
what does he mean by that?
Some of the cults, teach that not every sin was covered by Jesus death on the cross, and for some sins your own blood has to also be shed.
But we know there was no lack in Jesus atoning sacrifice for our sins,
as it says in 1st John
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
If fact after making atonement for our sin
Jesus main work was done
Hebrews says
He sat down to the right hand of God the Father.
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
So what is Paul saying his suffering is adding to?
His, Paul’s suffering is NOT adding to Christ Atonement for our sins,
but adding to the accumulation of suffering planned for Christs Bride, the Church.
The New International Version Chapter 1
what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
When we suffer with grace and dignity, the world often takes a second look and wonders why and how we can do that.
That brings glory to God.
Part of God’s plan for the church, includes suffering.
Suffering so others can know Christ
Why is Paul in jail in Rome?
Because his commission was to carry the gospel of salvation to the Jews first BUT also to the gentiles.
Many times when Paul spoke,
the Jews were interested in what he had to say,
until he mentions, he was sent to the gentiles,
that they are included in God’s salvation
Then the Jews would get very extremely angry
For example, one one of Paul's missionary journeys this happened.....
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
and dropping down to verse 48
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
Years later, in Jerusalem, when some men saw Paul in the temple,
they assumed Paul had brought gentiles into the temple,
they started a riot and
Roman soldiers had to rescued Paul
by way of arresting him.
Paul got permission to speak to the crowd, and the Jews listened well to Paul.
40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:
You probably know then in Acts 22, Paul gives his life story up to the Damascus Road incident, his healing from blindness and his return to Jerusalem.
But when he told them in verse Acts 22:22 that the Lord chose to send Paul to the gentiles, the Jews got very angry, and wanted to kill him, all over again.
22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
So the fact that Paul chose to obey God and
include gentiles like us in his ministry,
was the cause of his arrest and imprisonment.
So, he was suffering for the gentiles
for bringing the gospel message to them.
So Paul has learned that in God’s will,
Paul needs to suffer for the church,
and others will suffer for the church to grow and thrive.
Paul states:
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
That is Paul's commission,
that is his goal!
To clearly present to
the Clossians,
the gentles and ultimately
to us
the word of God
in it’s fullness.
The church as the Body of Christ is not as full as it should be
we have Good News to share
The church as the Body of Christ is not as Holy as it should be
we have lessons to teach
and lifestyles to live
The church as the Body of Christ is not as Loving as it should be
we have forgiveness and love to share
The church as the Body of Christ is not as United as it should be
we have bridges to build.
The Mystery
The Mystery
Paul described it this way
26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The mystery was in part
How in the world was a righteous God
going to associate with
have a relationship with
sinful people like you and men?
Jesus said
17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
They had to take it by faith that God would find a way to be Righteous and Holy and yet forgive sins.
Another part of the Glorious mystery Christ in us!
With Christ in us, we can have the power to live differently
With Christ in us, we can be guided into better choices
With Christ in us, His law becomes written on our hearts.
It says in Ezekiel 36
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Hebrews 10 also talks about our minds and hearts being renewed...
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
How God does that, how does God dwell in us, I don’t know?
but he does, and he promise a new heart and a new mind.
There may be a process and time involved since we are called to
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
What is the difference of experience of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Old Testament and New Testament
I can’t explain that well either?
But I do know Ps 51 has King David pleading that God would not take his Holy Spirit away from him, after his sin with Bathsheba.
The Holy Spirit was with Samson and gave him his great strength.
Yet after he told Delilah the secret of his strength and she had his hair cut
we wasn’t aware that God’s spirit had been taken away from him
when he jumped up to fight the Philistines.
We can’t see Christ in us
We can’t go to the lab and get an x-ray of Christ in us but
We know He is in us and with us,
when He guides us
when He tells us to do,
or not do something.
When he puts someone on our heart
to pray for and
When he changes us, or gives us the strength to carry on.
Paul described how God gave him strength to fulfill his calling in verse 29
29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Paul strenuously contends
that’s his part
With the energy Christ works in him,
That is God’s part,
God’s Holy Spirit at work in Paul.
giving him the strength to keep going.
To be a good servant for Christ.
Christ in you, the hope of Glory
Christ in you, the hope of Glory
In verse 27 Paul continues his thoughts on Christ in us.
He says it is our Hope of Glory.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Many a great man or women, has the good sense to say, they are just an average person, serving a great big God and they are thankful to serve him.
How do you proclaim Christ?
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
Admonishing
warn or reprimand someone firmly
Teaching
this is what Jesus said
this is what Jesus did
this is what it mean
Paul did all that he did with one goal
To present Bride of Christ, the church with people fully mature in Christ.
Truths to live by
Truths to live by
We all know that we are not perfect and this side of heaven won’t be
But I think we don’t need to grow
We do need to be growing.
Too often we favor verse like
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Sometimes we rely too much on that verse and ignore verse that call us to do better life with Christ’s help.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
What can we conclude?
What can we conclude?
Christ death on the cross made salvation possible.
The Church, the Body of Christ is still suffering for Christ in
Service and Persecution.
One Mystery of life is how a Just God can be loving or
a loving God be just.
Another Mystery is how God’s Holy Spirit can live in us,
if we are surrendered to his will.
We can’t see his spirit in us or take a picture of it, but
a changed life is evidence of Christ in us.
God’s laws being written on our hearts, is also evidence of a change in us
Paul, a great apostle of Christ, didn’t claim glory to himself
he said that the power of Christ gave him strength.
Having Christ in our lives can help us live great lives if we are obedient to His will.
Or we can remain babies in christ, forever falling back to our sins and focusing on
our human limits.
Paul contended strenuously to help Christians mature in Christ.
Next week we will see it was his goal to see every one in church a mature Christian.
Let’s Pray
Lord we all have blind spots. Many of us rely on our own strength and fail
others rely on the truth, that we are not perfect, and don’t draw on your strength
Challenge and encourage each of us, to be more like Paul,
serving you and others
in your strength
Fill us again, even now with your Holy Spirit
And ALL God’s people said
AMEN!